Full story
Beirut Raid Triggers Missiles
Iran launched an air attack against Israel on Sunday night in response to strikes on the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh in Lebanon, after Iranian authorities had threatened to retaliate if Israeli raids continued.
“Iran’s armed forces on Sunday night launched an air attack against Israel in response to strikes on the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh”
Israel’s government said it targeted a command centre of Hezbollah, while US media reports said Washington was aware of and supportive of the attack that killed at least two people.
Iran fired ballistic missiles from multiple cities, including Kermanshah in the west, and the exchange raised concerns of a return to all-out war after an exchange of fire that had lasted for several hours.
In Tehran, Iranian authorities said the operation “Nasr” — which means victory — was carried out as promised, and Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a video statement: "As we promised, we have acted."
Claims, Warnings, and Mediation
Iran’s missile launch followed an Israeli statement that it had struck a militant command center in Beirut’s Dahieh district, and Lebanon’s health ministry said the raid killed two people and wounded 20 more.
Iran’s military central command said Israel had "crossed all red lines" with the Beirut strike, demanding it halt its campaign in Lebanon, and General Ali Abdollahi warned that if Israel expanded attacks to that region or responded to Iran’s action, it would face more devastating and regrettable blows.
The Naharnet account also described how Iranians were already feeling the strain of weeks of uncertainty, with fitness trainer Elaheh from Ahvaz telling AFP: "I really have gone numb."
Meanwhile, Naharnet reported that there were some signs of ongoing diplomatic efforts over the weekend, including Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi visiting Tehran and saying he would deliver a "special letter" from Pakistan's army chief to Iran's supreme leader.
Regional Doctrine and Targets
Iran’s state messaging framed the strikes as more than a military response, with Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the influential Expediency Council, describing the move as "the official announcement of a strategic doctrine".
“"the official announcement of a strategic doctrine"”
Al Jazeera reported that Iranian missiles targeted sites in Tiberias and Nahariya that provide military support for troops in southern Lebanon, as well as the Ramat David, Tel Nof and Nevatim military airbases.
The same report said one of the first targets was Karun, a major petrochemical plant in Mahshahr that produces methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and it noted that the city of Mahshahr houses several other petrochemical giants.
Al Jazeera also said the Israeli army framed the latest strikes as hitting "infrastructure for producing raw materials for the Iranian terror regime’s missile programme," while the IRGC attacked the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa and the potential damage was unclear.